West Virginias Skyler Howard is counting on a record 2015 bowl performance to help put to rest all that talk that he wasnt talented enough to be a starting quarterback in the Big 12.Howard heads into his senior season hoping for much more against teams he watched growing up in Fort Worth, Texas.As a kid you want to be one of the elite quarterbacks, he said. But if Im not, thats OK, too. Because Ive never been that guy, actually. Ive always came from the bottom. It doesnt surprise me that Ive got to work my way up. Im excited to do it. I like being the underdog because its what Im used to.Attaining elite status might be difficult considering nearly all the starting quarterbacks returning in the Big 12, among them Oklahomas Baker Mayfield, Baylors Seth Russell, Texas Techs Patrick Mahomes and Oklahoma States Mason Rudolph.Lightly recruited and often hearing he was too slow and too short, the 6-foot Howard fought for respect in his first full season as a starter in 2015. He was fifth among conference quarterbacks both in passing yards and total offense, and fourth in touchdown passes. He also threw the second-most interceptions.The math shows Howard needs to improve his accuracy, and hell get that chance behind a veteran offensive line and a speedy group of returning receivers.Howard completed just 55 percent of his passes, throwing for 3,145 yards with 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Although his receivers dropped multiple throws, Howard takes the brunt of the blame.My completion percentage definitely needs some work, Howard said. Thats one thing that Im focusing on right now is just putting the ball in play. If I have more completions, then I have more yards.A confidence boost came in the Cactus Bowl, where Howard threw for a bowl-record 532 yards and five touchdowns in a 43-42 win over Arizona State as the Mountaineers ended the season 8-5.That game let Howard and his teammates establish a mentality that we can go out there and do this every game, he said. It raised our bar higher to expect good things to happen rather than not. I feel like it carried over into the offseason.Howard also aims to avoid repeating his mistakes. During losses to ranked teams Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor and TCU in October, Howard failed to complete half his throws in each game and was intercepted six times. Three of those came against Oklahoma, when he also had two fumbles, one of which was returned for a touchdown.West Virginia was seventh in the 10-team league in third down conversions. Coach Dana Holgorsen wants to give Howard more time as a pocket passer and better hone his timing with his receivers, including on intermediate routes.West Virginia threw the ball only 41 percent of the time last year amid the emergence of Big 12 rushing leader Wendell Smallwood. Smallwood is now in the NFL, meaning Howard could see his production chances increase.Winning games and losing games, everybody points the finger at me, Holgorsen said. Being effective in the passing game, everybody points the finger at him.Top receiver Shelton Gibson, who had 887 yards and nine touchdowns a year ago, has no doubts about Howards abilities to remain in top form when the season begins at home Sept. 3 against Missouri.Me and Skyler had that connection so long ago, Gibson said. Its just there. Hes getting it done with the other receivers. Everythings coming together.---AP college football website: www.collegefootball.ap.orgAir Force 1 Blue Outlet . The giant slalom world champion slipped during her first run in the morning, landing on her back and then twisting forward before getting her leg caught in the protective material on the side of the slope. Air Force 1 China . -- Al Jefferson found a groove just in time for the Charlotte Bobcats. https://www.cheapairforce1outlet.com/air-force-1-black-outlet/ . Pirlo limped out of Sundays 1-0 win over Udinese after just 13 minutes. Juventus says Pirlo underwent tests on Monday which revealed he has "a second-degree lesion to the collateral medial ligament in his right knee. Air Force 1 Discount .In my heart and mind Im competing for India, luge competitor Shiva Keshavan told The Associated Press in an email interview. Every day Im flooded with messages from Indians all over the world telling me they are supporting me. Air Force 1 Womens Outlet . -- Teemu Selanne scored the first goal of his 22nd NHL season, and the Anaheim Ducks extended the best start in franchise history with their fifth straight victory, 3-2 over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. SUZUKA, Japan -- McLaren-Hondas lack of competitiveness during qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix is not just down to the power units lack of power, according to team bosses Eric Boullier and Yusuke Hasegawa.Despite talking up its chances in the build-up to the weekend, the McLaren-Hondas qualified 15th and 17th at the Japanese engine manufacturers home race. The result came just one week after Jenson Button qualified ninth at the Malaysian Grand Prix and Fernando Alonso overcame a 45-place grid penalty to finish seventh.McLaren has previously boasted about having one of the best chassis on the grid, but in Japan it qualified behind both Toro Rossos, which use a less powerful, year-old Ferrari power unit. McLaren racing director Boullier admitted the problem in Suzuka was not simply a lack of power, but a lack of performance from the chassis as well.We [McLaren and Honda] both do everything we can, he said. Obviously Honda entered Formula One not a very long time ago, so they are still obviously catching up with the others. We have decided on the McLaren side to reset our car philosophy last year, so we are catching up as well.There are some car attitudes that are conditioned by some kinds of corners where we are not the best. We know we are the best in some other type of corners, because there is some GPS traces available on the market to compare. This track doesnt suit our chassis and obviously oon the engine side we are not on the same performance level of Mercedes, so both combined make it a difficult weekend for us.ddddddddddddOn other track layouts we are surprisingly better just because for the same reasons we can exploit better the PU and we can use the car in some different attitudes where we know we are strong and we can be maybe the best chassis as well in some conditions.Asked where the McLaren would be with a Mercedes power unit, Boullier added: I dont think this weekend it would be at the top of the grid, but it would definitely be in a much better position.Honda F1 boss Hasegawa added: Its very tough [in Suzuka] and its a challenge for everything -- for the power unit, the downforce and the driver as well. Of course we need more power and maybe we can improve substantially [in all areas], apart from driver performance, I think.He joked: The positive side is Im proud we have some very good sake!Alonso took the 45-place grid penalty in Malaysia in order to use Hondas new and updated engine without penalty in Japan.Of course it is very disappointing and we expect more, Hasegawa said. The car characteristics are not suited to this circuit, so it is very unfortunate. But we took a great penalty in Malaysia, which was in preparation for this event of course. ' ' '